Learning how to perform all of the steps required in a welding station, including the steps that are in addition to welding, traditionally takes many hours of instruction, training, and practice.
There are many different types of operations that can be learned, including various welding and non-welding operations. Typically, the steps of a welding station are learned by a student operator at a real welding station performing welding operations on real metal pieces. Such real-world training can tie up scarce welding resources and use up limited welding materials. Training while welding on real production parts can be costly as an operator learns the assembly operation. Training time on real production parts typically requires two operators (costly) and potentially generates scrap, rework, or low quality assemblies.
Recently, however, the idea of training using welding simulations has become more popular. Some welding simulations are implemented via personal computers, on-line via the Internet, or even as virtual welders. However, conventional welding simulations tend to be limited to single welds in their training focus and typically involve one welding technique at a time. Conventional virtual reality training generally only involves individual welds and does not prepare, or train, the operator how to produce a complete assembly that involves multiple welding and/or assembly steps. In practice, unlike in these simulators, there are many different welding techniques and non-welding operations required at a welding station that are needed to create an entire, complete welded assembly. Thus, there is an unmet need for welding simulation systems and methods that can effectively simulate the production of complete assemblies.